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Now that you have a domain name, you need to have it lead to PrestaShop. This means that the PrestaShop files need to reside on a web server. You might have a web server of your own, but it is more likely that you have or will have your store hosted by an Internet hosting service (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_hosting_service), which provides you with an online home for a monthly or yearly fee.

If you have never had a web host, here are some that you can trust:

• A2 Hosting: http://www.a2hosting.com/
• InMotion Hosting: http://www.inmotionhosting.com/
• OVH France: http://www.ovh.com/
• OVH UK: http://www.ovh.co.uk/

There are many more. Ask your friendsBefore starting an online store, you will first need to select a hosting provider. Just about every webhost can effectively handle the PrestaShop solution. However, only a few Hosting providers offer optimized servers for PrestaShop:

• • 1&1 worldwide: 1&1
  • InMotion Hosting in all countries, except France and Spain: InMotion
    
    

Check out our hosting partners!

When choosing your host, remember one crucial requirement: it must provide you with support for PHP 5.2 (or more recent), the programming language with which PrestaShop is written, and MySQL 5 (or more recent), the database system where PrestaShop stores all its data. There are more requirements: see the "Technical requirements" section below.

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• Files are not to be uploaded via FTP to a server: simply move them in the correct local folder, as indicated above.
• You do not have to create a local domain name: PrestaShop is available through the loopback address indicated above, which is either http://localhost or http://127.0.0.1 . PrestaShop itself is available at this address by adding its folder's name, for instance http://localhost/prestashop or http://127.0.0.1/prestashop if PrestaShop is in the /prestashop/ subfolder of the local root folder.. When accessing this address for the first time, you should be automatically redirected to PrestaShop's install, at either http://localhost/prestashop/install or http://127.0.0.1/prestashop/install . From there on, follow the regular installation guide, starting directly at the "Launching the auto-installerCreating a database for your shop" section.